A Loving Heart Never Dies
by xDaisyMayx
Summary: When Bulma is forced to marry a man she detests, what extremes will she go to to find a way out?-- full summary inside... B/V get together. AU. Possible lemon later!
1. Prologue

Here is the full summary:

When Bulma is forced to marry a man she detests, what extremes will she go to to find a way out? As she takes on the role of a slave, she thinks her life is going to get a whole lot worse- or is it? Can the help of a new friend, and a mysterious prince, get her through this dark point in her life.

B/V get together. AU. Possible lemon later!!

This is my first story on fanfiction, YAY!!

Anyway, this story is set round about the 1800s (during the time when women always wore dresses and stuff...). Bulma lives on earth which isn't a very developed planet, they don't have any kind of machinery at all. So, Enjoy, and R&R(please!!)

Disclaimer: I don't own any of these characters, and i'm not earning money from doing this- its just for fun!!

* * *

A Loving Heart Never Dies.

I was once told that I would get my 'happy ever after' but until recently I didn't believe this to be true. I had such bad luck in love until I met my 'knight I shining armour'. It almost seemed like a fairytale that mothers would tell their children just before they tucked them in and wished them goodnight.

Well, my fairytale begins here, at my wedding to be precise- the day that I should be at my happiest. My name is Bulma and I am 16 years old. I am about to walk down the isle. I have been told I would do this since I was little, but I was never told how it would feel as if my life was ending, you see I am princess of a small planet named Earth and when I was around five years old I was betrothed to the prince of a far off country. His name is freezer and I have never seen him before, I will see him for the first time in a few minutes, his name scares me, I hope its not the same for the person- I don't want to marry someone I'm scared of, I don't want to marry him at all really. I am told he is very wealthy, that's the only reason my parents are forcing me to do this 'its for the greater good of the planet' they tell me on a regular basis. I don't really care about the planet, or the greater good, I just don't want to marry this man.

Suddenly, I her the music start up, dragging me from my thinking, I look to my father beside me- he is smiling, feeling emotions exactly opposite to mine. As the doors open I inhale deeply, taking my first step on to the red carpet before me. I look around; there are so many people here, half of them I don't even know. The immense church is decorated with beautifully arranged flowers, much like the bouquet I hold in my hands. Eventually I turn my gaze forward and try my best not to start crying on the spot as I look directly in to the cold eyes of my soon to be husband, instead I force myself to smile- he does nothing but glare back at me, his expression emotionless and never changing.

Finally I reached the alter and, after kissing my father on the cheek, I stand opposite my fiancée. Most of the service went by in a blur, right up until the man standing opposite me spoke the two words I had been dreading for it would soon be my turn to say 'I do'. Freezers voice, much like his name was cold and unforgiving.

The priest now turned to me,

"And do you, Princess Bulma of Earth take this man to be your lawfully wedded husband?"

All the eyes in the church turned to me, glaring, almost willing me to speak. I turned my head to look at my parents; they gave me an angry look, I cringed, my parents had never really been that hard on me, but now they seemed stricter than ever. I turned my gaze back to Prince Freezer, feeling light headed and a little dizzy and finally spoke the dreaded words,

"I…. I…" Thud. I hit the floor, I could hear people rushing towards me, fanning my face and trying to sit me up.

Freezer knelt down beside me and, starting to shake my arm with his cold fingers, he began speaking,

"Girl, if you don't get up now I will…."

Then, I lost those few ties holding me to the real world and my doomed life. Everything went black.

* * *

So, that was the prologue- Hope you enjoyed it. Next time we follow Bulma as she tries to ecape from the country. will her attempts be succesful- or will she fail miserably, its all there in the next chapter.

Please Read and Review- i would love to know what you think!!


	2. The Escape

Ok, so this is chapter one... Enjoy!!

Disclaimer: Don't own them, never will!!

* * *

Chapter One:

The Escape.

Slow mournful music floated in to my head, the sound willing me to open my eyes. The music almost told a story, one that felt very familiar. I opened my eyes slowly, the sunlight hurting as I did so. I sat up, allowing time for my eyes to adjust to the surroundings I awoke to.

I was in the palace chapel, many candles surrounding me, providing poor lighting to the dimly lit room. How had I got here, the chapel had changed so dramatically since the last time I was here, the light flower filled room transformed to the cold candle lit place I was now in. The only thing that remained from the previous room was the beautiful flowers, white roses- my favourite, which were placed around me, just as the candles were.

Oh my, did my family believe I was dead? That would certainly explain the ornaments surrounding me. But how had they come to that conclusion, I was one of the healthiest people in the kingdom…

_I turned my gaze back to Prince Freezer feeling light headed and a little dizzy and finally spoke the dreaded words,_

"_I…. I…" Thud. I hit the floor, I could hear people rushing towards me, fanning my face and trying to sit me up. _

_Freezer knelt down beside me and, starting to shake my arm with his cold fingers, he began to speak,_

"_Girl, if you don't get up now I will…."_

_Then, I lost those few ties holding me to the real world and my doomed life. Everything went black._

…As I remembered my world going black everything started to make sense, but the ultimate question was had I married the man from my memories, or was I still free…

I didn't want to stop around and find out, I had been given the perfect chance to escape. With everyone thinking I was dead I could be left alone for the rest of my life, all I had to do was find a way to escape. My mind reeled with options, and plans, and decisions I had to make, but nothing I thought of made sense.

My line of thought was abruptly cut short as the soft thump, thump, thump of approaching footsteps began not far from where I was situated.

With out thinking I leapt to my feet and, for the first time since I had woken, noticed that I had been rested on a stone table, which was higher in the room than most objects- like I was being portrayed as an exhibit in a museum, which everyone came to view. This made my heart skip a beat, what would people think when they found I was no longer in my place of rest- would they care…

Oh, I had no time to think about this now, I took a deep breath and leap from my high place in the chapel, landing with a light thud on my feet. I felt slightly venerable now I was on the same level as the footsteps, my heart beating faster each time a small thump came.

I started running in the opposite direction to the footsteps, back down the isle I had walked down what felt like a lifetime ago, this had been what I had dreamed of doing as I stood on the alter, but now I was terrified.

I stumbled a few times, tripping on my dress, my wedding dress- why had nobody changed me; I cursed them all in my head. Finally I reached the big wooden door, I pushed it silently, but nothing happened. I held my breath and pushed again- a little harder this time, but still nothing. I began to panic, tears forming in my eyes.

I turned, looking for another way out of the dark room- which was quickly becoming my personal hell- but found none, except for the door with the footsteps.

My breath hitched in my throat, they were so loud now, filling all of my senses so that I couldn't concentrate. And then they stopped, silence encased my mind for the briefest of seconded, only to be replaced with a sound more terrifying that the last; a key began to turn in the lock.

Without thinking I dove behind the seats to my right and crawled to the other side of the chapel, my breath coming more rapidly now. Quickly, I nestled myself between the wall and one of the tall stone pillars.

I wrapped my arms around my knees protectively and listened intently to the reaction of the person who was about to enter the chapel.

Slowly the door opened, I heard the keys drop from the intruder's hand and an ear-splitting scream erupt from her mouth. The woman had obviously not been expecting to see the table empty, for as soon as the scream finished I heard frantic footfalls retreating from the room and cries of help echoing down the hall.

As soon as the screams had faded I let out the breath I had been subconsciously holding. I leaned round the pillar to check that no one else had entered the room.

When I found it empty I stood and slowly walked to where the woman had been standing.

I bent down and grasped the fallen keys with shaky hands. There were two keys on the delicate chain; one was a long rusting key- that had obviously opened the door that I was standing by.

The other was a small golden key that extended from an intricate heart.

I knew who the woman had been now- my mother…

This key had been given to her on her birthday from my father, well not so much the key, but the place it opened- a garden. The most beautiful place on the whole planet. This was where my love of white roses had begun.

Every year my mother would grow beautiful flowers, of many different colours and verities, but the ones she spent most time caring for where her roses. It didn't matter what colour to her, she love them all. Every day she would put vases full in her chambers and the room would always smell so beautiful, I guess white roses just reminded me so much of her.

Fresh tears formed in my eyes now, I would never see my mother again….

Taking a light hold on the long chapel key I removed it from the chain and placed it where I had been resting not five minutes ago. Now I placed the delicate chain round my neck and let the golden key fall to rest just above my chest. At least I would have something to remember my family by- I would never remove it or forget them- never.

I started to run again holding my dress up so I wouldn't trip. I darted down the hall my well-loved mother had ran down moments before, maybe if I could make it to the docking area I would be able to escape on one of the ships belonging to a wedding guest. I was taking a risk, I didn't even know how long I had been unconscious- there was a chance that many of the guests had left for their own countries long ago. I would have to hope I had God on my side- and a whole lot of luck….

Finally I rounded the corner to the docking bay. I heard a loud voice beginning to shout, without another thought I jumped behind the large wood boxes waiting to be loaded on to the ships, carefully I peeked above the boxes and located the shouting man.

"Under the kings strict command all able persons are to report to the palace chapel. Any individuals found not at this place within the next fifteen minutes will find themselves in the dungeons for a long wait. Is that clear?"

There was a round of light nodding from the people who had gathered to listen.

"Well then, get going!"

There was a scuffle as everyone around the area started running towards the door I had just come through- not one person noticing me where I crouched behind the wooden boxes.

I peered over the box again checking that no one was around, but the place was now completely empty, nothing around except the quiet whir of the ships, and a few people waiting on the deck, I presumed they were from a different country.

There was one ship there that caught my interest as I scanned over the dock. It was made entirely of metal, like nothing I had ever seen before. It was more round than the others, making them look small in comparison.

I crawled out from my hiding place and pulled myself up on the wooden box, there was a small number of people milling around the ship, supposedly waiting to board.

I retreated back behind the boxes, if I was going to fit in at all, then I was going to have to do something about my dress. I looked around; there wasn't much in my hiding place to help, only a few sacks lying in the corner. An idea came in to my head. I looked over the box, to the people outside the ship. They were all dressed fairly badly, in dark colours, with the occasional amount of colour- but even that was fairly shady. This was perfect.

I grabbed one of the sacks and tipped it upside down, many large potatoes that were brown with mud and dirt fell to the floor. I took the top of the now empty bag and pulled, luckily the brown material wasn't strong so I quickly found myself with a wide strip of dark brown fabric. I laid it on the floor next to the potatoes.

Next I looked at my dress, the beautiful material was still the same perfect colour it had been the day of my wedding. I grabbed the top layer of the floor length skirt, the material was more see-through than the bottom layer, and it had small pearls sewn in to delicate patterns. Once again I pulled the fabric so that I was left with only the long white cloth underneath. Now I picked up the sack I had previously torn and tied it round my waist. It fitted perfectly from under my chest to just above my hip, with enough length left to form a bow on my back.

Next I moved to my arms, the fabric there hung loosely in and angelic fashion, the tip touching just below my hand. I reached for the sack again and this time tore off a thinner, shorter strip. I lifted the light material of my sleeve, so that the bottom now touched half way between my hand and my elbow. With a little effort I managed to tie the strip around the middle of my arm, on my elbow. The material was now baggy around the top of my arm and loose hanging around the bottom. I repeated this again for my other sleeve.

I now looked somewhat similar to the other women standing on the deck, but my dress was still too white. I again searched my hiding place for something that could help. My eyes fell on the pile of muddy potatoes left from my work, with a devious smirk I walked towards the pile. Taking a potato in each hand I started to rub the dirt on to the material of my dress- I had always wanted to do this- going all over my body until all the white had disappeared, only to be replaced with a light chestnut brown. I glanced up and down my ruined dress; I had done a brilliant job. I now looked the part completely, not an ounce of wedding left to be discovered on my person.

I picked up one of the smaller boxes and placed a few of the now fairly clean potatoes inside. I started walking towards the ship. As I got nearer I breathed in and out slowly, calming myself for what I was about to do.

Going a little quicker now I walked up to a man in blue armour, who was shouting orders to the others there.

"Um, excuse me sir." I said in a timid voice "I was told to bring this box to the ship- its food supplies for the journey" I held my breath, hoping beyond belief that he would fall for my lie and let me take the box on board the ship.

"Right, I'll take that, you go line back up with the other slaves. Raddits" he shouted for another guard to come. "Take these on board the ship and put them in the store room".

"Yes, _master_ Nappa," Raddits said sarcastically "What ever you say, _master_ Nappa".

With this he snatched the box from Nappa's hands and walked back towards the ship.

"Well," Nappa snarled at me "Get back in line!"

"Yes sir" I replied quickly, already retreating to the slaves.

I joined the back of the line. So this was the only way I would be entering the ship, as a slave… I have to get out of the country quickly; I can't risk being found, I immediately reminded myself before I could have any after thoughts about my plan to enter the ship.

I peered down the line, there was so many people waiting with me as slaves. I wondered how many of them had families that they would never see again. I was sure there weren't any others in my position, no one that had gone from one extreme to the other, princess to slave, in a matter of what, I presumed, had been hours.

The line started moving towards the ship, led by the man I had previously spoken to.

As each person stepped on to the ship the other man, Raddits, made a small check on the paper he was holding.

Finally it was my turn to board the ship. I stepped quietly on to the metal surface and waited to be counted. I glanced up to look at the soldier, and to my surprise he was staring at the top of my dress, which was fairly low cut, his eyes full of lust as he stared at my chest. I quickly stepped forward again, placing my hand at the top of my dress, covering not only my cleavage but the golden key as well. I didn't look back, to scared to look at his eyes which were most definitely following me, scared for what could happen to me if I did.

Walking quicker still, I followed the other slaves round numerous corners and long corridors until we reached a small room. As we stepped in to the room we where checked again- this time by Nappa, there was no way I could escape now, not when so many people had seen my face.

I wasn't hard to miss; my hair gave me away more than any other feature- blue as the ocean, not something you could forget in a hurry, especially when no others around had anything close to my colouring. My colour came from my father, before his hair when white with age, of course. No, it was nothing like my mothers, hers would sparkle like the sun, the most beautiful thing you could ever hope to see. Mine is just blue… Boring, always has been, always will be…

I didn't look up this time, afraid that I might happen to see the same expression as I had before. Instead I walked over to the solitary window on the other side of the room. Not far from the window a small girl sat with her legs up against her chest, much like I had sat when I had been in the chapel- she had light golden hair and her eyes were ice blue, she looked somewhat empty compared to the other terrified women in the room, as if she didn't really care what happened to her.

I stood next to the small window and looked out towards my home, well, what had been my home. The castle looked more welcoming now than it ever had, now that I could never call it my home again. I looked away, as wonderful as it was to see my castle in all its glory, it broke my heart to think that I would never see it again after today.

Unexpectedly I saw something move out of the corner of my eye. I turned my head slowly and found that the blond girl was looking at me, looking was a bit of an understatement. What she was doing was staring, her confused eyes never leaving mine. Finally she spoke.

"Are you leaving something behind?" her voice was as cold as her eyes- but I could hear the soft, almost caring tone hidden in her question.

"Yes, but I don't really have a choice- I have to do this…I have to escape…" I knew as soon as I had spoken it that I had said too much. I waited for the question in her eyes to become a statement, but it never came. She just continued to stare at me.

"My name is Bulma, by the way…" I said to break the long silence.

The girl's eyes flickered to the window and then back to me, slowly she stood up and held out a small timid hand.

"Nice to meet you Bulma," she said, her voice not as cold as before "I, am 18."

My eyes widened for the briefest of seconds- but I forced them back to normal, I didn't want to offend the girl I had just greeted. I wonder why she had been called this, why her parents had decided to give her a number instead of a name. She seemed to read the confusion and questioning in my eyes, she smiled slightly and began to speak again.

"Bulma, did you ever know your parents?" I looked at her, completely taken aback by this question.

"Yes… I did," I answered slowly, not quite sure where this conversation was going

"Yes, I thought so…" she trailed off, talking more to herself than to me as she scanned the world outside the small window. "I wish I could say the same thing," she turned to look at me now. "You see Bulma, my mother was a pleasure slave on a ship not that different to this one. She spent almost every night in a different bed, forced to please some of the vilest men alive. It didn't take long before she fell pregnant. The soldiers allowed her to keep the baby, but even then she was given no medical assistance and was still forced to sleep with different men every night." Slowly she sank back down to the floor and beckoned me to follow. I sat down quietly next to her and waited for her to continue, interested now to hear the end of the story.

"After months of suffering to protect herself and the life she carried within her, the baby, myself, came. She had great help from other slaves but soon after the birth my mother was killed, and I was doomed to a life of slavery, she didn't even have time to name me. That is why I am called 18- because I was treated as an item rather than a person, I just happened to be the 18th baby born on the ship." She finished her story with a cold tone to her voice, a hatred that I could not understand.

"So who raised you, not the soldiers- I can't imagine them doing that?" I asked, curious now about the quiet girl in front of me.

"Oh," she sounded surprised, like no one had asked the question before- maybe she had never spoken about her past before. "Well, the slaves that helped my mother helped me the most, but when I was old enough I more or less took care of myself- I had to if I was going to survive at all. I have never been a pleasure slave like my mother- I'm not old enough for that- my work is hard, long hours with no rest… but I manage." She smiled at me as she said the last part.

"How old are you- if you don't mind me asking?"

"13, I just had my birthday a few weeks ago" she answered softly, her voice more caring now, as we talked to each other.

"We are almost the same age then," I stated, smiling "I'm 16- although I'll be 16 for some time yet."

The girl scanned my body, then blushed slightly as her eyes met mine again.

"Pardon me for saying this, Bulma, but you look older than 16." She blushed brighter as she spoke, the colour looking out of place on her white face. I was… well developed for my age, looking more 20 years old than 16. I wondered whether this would effect me, whether my years of slavery yet to come would be replaced by nights of pleasuring men, just like 18's mother…

"I'm sorry- I shouldn't have said that…"she looked away from me, her eyes falling to the floor.

"Don't worry, I'm not offended, I'll take it as a compliment!"

She didn't look up, refusing to meet my gaze. We sat for a few minutes in complete silence, just the small voices of the other women around us could be heard. I decide to break the silence again.

"Is this the ship you were born on?"

"Oh. No I have been sold many times, from one ship to another." She saw the horrified look cross my features as she mentioned being sold, "That's just the slave trade for you. Some times I will be a slave on one ship for over a year, others no longer than a week. I think the shortest time I was on a ship before I was sold again was one day… you get used to it after a while"

I felt as if my story was insignificant, that I would never go through so much heartbreak as the girl sitting besides me had. If felt the sudden need to protect her and keep her from harms way. She was only 13 and already she had been through a lifetime of hell, half of which I would never understand. All I could do now was offer my friendship and hope that we would not be separated for some time yet.

"Bulma," she looked at me with questioning eyes "May I ask you about your Past, I've never really spoken to anyone the way we are talking now, as friends…" I looked at her eyes; the dark rings beneath them seeming to stand out now more than ever, making her face look pale in comparison.

"Well…" I began, not sure what to tell her, but the sudden movement of the ship caught me off guard. We weren't moving sideways like normal ships did as they floated across the water. No, we were moving upwards.

I leapt to my feet and peered out the window. We _were_ moving upwards, it wasn't my imagination. Panic washed over me, how could a ship float in mid air.

I looked down to 18, she seemed perfectly calm, the sudden movement of the ship not changing her features at all.

The ship continued to move upwards parting the nearby water with immense gusts of wind. It was then I realised that we were not in the water like all the other normal ships, that we had been on the decking level, along with all the other boxes and cargo waiting to be boarded.

My mind reeled with possibilities, but none made sense. I crouched down by 18 and grabbed her arm. Her head turned slowly to face me.

"18, what's happening, how can a ship be floating…" it sounded crazy to say it out loud, but I needed to know.

"I'm guessing you've not been a slave long- or you haven't left this planet before…" she looked at me with interest, as if wanting me to elaborate but I wouldn't answer now, not when we were rising to the heavens at an increasing speed.

"This is a space ship Bulma," she stated laughing softly to herself, "Its designed to travel through space, just like a ship travels through water."

My mouth dropped and she giggled again at my expression. I slumped to the ground again, releasing hold of her arm- I suddenly noticed how bruised it was, I looked in horror, had I made those bruises in my hurry to gain an explanation.

"I bruise easily, don't worry about it- half of them weren't made by you…"

I looked at her apologetically but she just shrugged.

"Don't worry Bulma"

I rose to my feet again; her eyes followed me all the time. I looked out the window, my home world getting smaller and black slowly taking over, it was truly beautiful up here, how long would it be before I touched down on another planet, would it be as wonderful as earth, or would I be doomed to see no beauty again in all my days.

So many questions whirled in my head as I watched my life; along with my beautiful home recede in to the distance.

* * *

Ok, so that was chapter one, it was a little longer than the last- which is always good. Now, before you say anything, i know 18 is completely OOC, but i don't like ChiChi and i needed someone to be a slave with bulma (i've always liked 18 aswell!!)  
In the next chapter we learn about bulma's first few months as a slave, and how a certain prince catches her eye... (i have started writing it, so i shouldn't take long to upload)

As always R&R!!


	3. A New Life

First of all I would like to say thank you to the people who put my story on their watch list, and sorry that I have taken so long to upload the next chapter, I've just had no time to write what so ever! Really, I am very sorry. Asides from that, i don't think there is much else i need to say except: Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own Bulma or Vegeta- or any of the other characters/plannets. I am just writing for fun and do not make any money out of it.

* * *

Chapter Two:

A New Life.

Several months had passed since I left my previous life forever. Things hadn't been easy, but some how I had managed to fit in and make my existence one of a slave. Ever since I had set foot on my new home I knew things weren't going to be easy. On the contrary, they were going to be the hardest they had ever been. Long, tiring hours had passed in the tiny room as me and 18 made our friendship stronger. I had learnt many things about the strange girl sitting besides me; what kind of work she was made to do as a slave, and how, through her short 13 years of life, she had never been kissed. I thought it strange that all she dreamt of accomplishing through her life was meeting a man she loved enough to grow old and have children with. No, she didn't want any material things- just the love of one person- that would be enough to satisfy her. She had also inquired about my previous life, how I had become a slave, and what I wished for to make me happy. Of course, I couldn't tell her of the true life I had left behind, but I did a fairly good job of making up a story that would satisfy her need for knowledge. I had described the hardships I had gone through when my poor town had been invaded by vile men seeking slaves to work on their ship. How when I had tried to save my mother she had removed the golden key from her neck and, while placing it over my head, she had told me to run and never look back. I then told of how I had only got so far away when the soldiers had caught up to me and taken me on board the ship. 18 had listened intently to my story, but I could tell that deep down she had known it was made up- she never said a word, but I could tell. She never once asked for details, possibly knowing that I would not know how to answer.

Those questions would have been simple to answer. It was what I wished for that I had the most trouble answering. I didn't really know what I wanted now. Before I had just wished to marry a man I loved- not the man I was betrothed to. But now I didn't know what to think. So I just answered her simply, saying that I just wanted to be happy in life- and possibly not a slave as I was now.

After hearing this she had nodded slightly and asked another question,

"Have you ever been in love Bulma?"

I'm sure my expression must have been a picture, a mix of surprise and wonder flashing across my face. But she had shown no sign of taking back the question, she had just continued to stare, the way she always did.

I though about the question- I had never really been in love before. There had been a few boys that had taken my eye as I attended meetings with my mother and father, but none that I really loved.

I had answered her slowly,

"No 18, I have never been in love before. But I am a great believer in fate." A questioning look appeared on her face, so I explained. "I think that there is a reason I have never fallen in love before. I think this is so that when I do it will be more…um" my mind reeled, looking for the right word "…powerful than any other emotion I have ever felt."

She had then become very interested in the idea of fate, and begged me to tell her more. So I told her about how I believed that everything happens for a reason, and that one day all the horrible things that have happened to you won't seem to matter anymore, because you will have something so amazing and wonderful that it will make all the horror and worrying you did fade in to the background, only to be replaced with a happiness, so pronounced that you won't worry anymore, because you know you will always be safe as long as you have that happiness inside your heart. It _felt_ like I had just reeled of a whole load of nonsense, but a part of me believed that this was true, even if that part was fairly small in comparison. Anyway, the point was that it made 18 happy- and, even though I had only known her a short amount of time, I felt happier when she was happier.

She then moved to lean her head against my shoulder; the cold feeling had taken me by surprise. She spoke so quietly I had to work to hear her.

"Thank you Bulma." She paused, and I began to wonder what she was thanking me for- but then she spoke again, "You have given me something to look forward to in my life… a little piece of happiness that will follow me where ever I go. You know Bulma; I have never had a friend before. I am glad I have _you_ now…"

She trailed off. As I looked down at her peaceful face I realised that she had fallen asleep. It was then I knew what I wished for; a heart as strong and willing for love even after all the hard ship she had been through. I hoped that after the years of hate I was in for, I could love as much as the girl sitting besides me.

I laid my head on top of hers and slowly with thoughts of my life yet to come, fell asleep.

I awoke the next morning with a jolt of fear. The ship made a loud crashing sound as it sunk into the ground. All the heads around me had shot up as the other occupants in the room realised what was happening. I looked down at 18, only to see the calm face she always held in times that I thought were disasters.

I stood and looked through the window as I always did when something out of the ordinary happened. We had landed on a planet- a very strange one at that. The sky was the most beautiful red I had ever seen, a blood red that transformed in to pale yellow where the sun met the horizon, I looked over the beautiful sky, taking in as much as I could- I didn't know then when the next time I could see it would be. To my surprise, a second sun came in to view, the same beautiful colours mirrored across the terrain. I should have thought it strange to see two suns around one planet- but I was slowly learning to believe the things I saw and not think them impossible.

18 had then got to her feet and joined me to look out the window.

"Hmm, Vegitasei. I have seen this place many times before." I looked at her questioningly and she continued, "Vegitasei is one of the best known places for slave trade, a lot of buying and selling goes on here." She then turned and faced the other way as if she had been suspecting something.

I followed her eyes to the door, where the soldiers from before stood, again holding the paper to check us with. 18's suspicions had obviously been correct, because the men began ordering us in to lines.

18 had then grabbed my hand and pulled me in to line behind her. As we began the return trip down the long corridors her hand tightened around mine- as if she were scared, even after the many years she had been through containing the exact same treatment. I wouldn't blame her if she were scared, I was also terrified- but I had to keep it together and try my hardest to stay with my new friend, I had needed her then as much as she had needed me.

Together we had walked off the ship and continued down the metal ramp, I remembered looking around the docking bay and seeing many other ships just like the one we had stepped off of, along with many faces staring at us, following us as we walked in line past the many ships. Lots of faces seemed just like ours- scared, petrified even, for their own safety- I felt sorry for them, because I knew what they were going through.

One face caught my attention, his coal black eyes following me in particular- singling me out among the many slaves that walked in line behind each other. I looked at him, my eyes staring straight back at his. His head turned away from me, his eyes moving to look down the line at the other slaves.

He looked more important that the other men there, his clothes a royal blue, and his white armour lined with gold. His hair was a flame of deep brown, which almost seemed black, meeting at the middle of his forehead in a widow's peak.

I turned to look down the line of slaves again, but I could feel his attention turn back to me, his eyes seeming to bore a hole in the back of my head.

I wished he would stop looking. I was used to the attention from men, used to their expression as they pictured me in some perverted scenario. But this man was different- usually I could just ignore their lust filled eyes, and carry on with what I was doing. But he was making me uncomfortable, like the emotions he felt went deeper than just lust.

Slowly I turned my head back to him. His eyes met mine for the seconded time that day, but this time I was the one to break the contact, my eyes flickering to the soft blush that crept up his cheeks. It was only a slight change in colour, only someone like myself who had been watching the silent man would have noticed.

Suddenly our exchange ended, the man turned almost angrily and stormed away- his cloak billowing out behind him in a wave of red. I turned my gaze to the back of 18's head; my hand was still tightly enclosed within hers. I let my attention wander as she softly pulled me along- who had that man been, he intrigued me greatly even though we had only gazed at each other. Gazed, I laughed to myself, it had seemed more like staring each other down- but still, we had only looked at each other and I already wanted to know more about him. The way his eyes had not only looked at me with lust- but like I was beautiful. I laughed again- I was probably deluding myself, painting images in my head of someone on this planet wanting me more than just for sex.

The line finally came to a stop and we were made to turn to our right, so that we were now facing away from the other ships in the docking area, and towards the 'important' looking people. Possible buyers, I though to myself knowing that, had I asked, 18 would have said the same thing.

Her hand now began shaking in mine, I stroked my thumb in a soothing manner along her hand- she seemed to calm a little, but I could tell she was still petrified of what was happening, she was only 13 after all, even though it was easy to forget- she was still just a child.

I then scanned the people we were now facing, many of them wore the royal blue I had seen on the man before- but none seemed to look as perfect as he did. Other people wore red, and green and any colour you would associate with people such as kings and queens and people in a high-ranking position. As I had said before- 'important' people.

Out of the corner of my eye I saw something move, parting the crowd as they slowly moved to stand in front of all the people. My breath had hitched in my throat as I saw the man I had been so interested in only moments before. He stood on the left side of a man that looked almost identical to him, the only differentiating features being the hair colour; the other man's was more chocolate brown than the one who had invaded my thoughts- though both flamed above their heads. And a small moustache that curved around his mouth to form a small goatee, the man who had stared at me before had no excess facial hair. The two were obviously related in some way, father and son perhaps- the man with darker hair definitely looked younger.

Behind these two were several soldiers, guards perhaps- though the men certainly didn't need protecting. Each had well defined muscles, which could be identified even through the material that looked tight on their arms. They were dressed in the same attire, though the older looking man was dressed with black material and red armour, which was lined with gold- rather than the blue material and white armour lined with gold which the man, I presumed was his son, was wearing.

They both began to walk to the left side of the line, when they got there the soldier who had been on the ship, Nappa, knelt on one knee and placed a fisted hand on his heart.

"My King"

Although it was far away, I could clearly hear what the man had said. King, I repeated softly to myself, so that would make the man standing next to him the… prince… I, only minutes ago, had stared down the prince of this country, perhaps even this _world_… oh my- how could I have ever though that this man could love me. To him I was just a lowly slave, someone he could boss around quite easily, someone who could not argue back when told to do something they would never want to willingly do. Someone who he could never openly love, even if he wanted to… I felt tears begin to form, more out of anger than sadness, as I thought of my stupidity, but I forced them back, knowing that crying would not help me now.

Nappa finally stood and walked to stand on the right side of the king, still holding the piece of paper, which had the checks on from before.

The king began to examine each person in the line, muttering things under his breath that I couldn't hear. As he left each person Nappa would make a note on the paper, then either direct them to stand on the right or the left. Slowly small groups began to form at the end of the line- which was getting increasingly smaller as the king moved from one person to another.

After what had felt like hours the king and the prince finally came to stand in front of 18 and myself. 18's hand was shaking almost violently now, her small hand gripping mine tighter than I though was possible.

She looked down as the kings gaze fell on her, her breath coming slowly as if she were trying to calm herself. The king looked her up and down, muttering things such as 'strong legs', and 'good arms'; he spoke almost as if she was livestock being sold at a cattle market.

Even though my friend was being treated so badly, I couldn't help but notice the prince's unfaltering gaze. He never once looked at 18, just continued to stare at me like he had when we first arrived on the planet. Again I felt uneasy- wanting to cover my body so that he couldn't see. But he wasn't looking there, he was looking straight in my eyes- as if he were searching for something, the answer to an unspoken question maybe.

Suddenly I heard Nappa speak,

"Left." He grunted the word that had been spoken many times as they walked down the line, but this awoke a new fear in me- was I to go left too of was I to face a life without my new friend.

I tightened my hand around 18's for a brief moment before it fell limply from mine. I turned my head to look at 18; a silent tear fell from her cheek as she began to walk slowly towards the left. I prayed that I could rejoin her in moments to come.

I looked forwards again. I could feel many eyes looking at me now- burning me with their icy stares.

I looked back to the king as he started assessing me like he had 18. His eyes scanned me, starting at my feet and continuing up until they stopped at my neck. I followed his gaze and realised with horror that he was staring at the small golden key, which rested above my chest. My hand clenched at my side, fighting the urge to cover my chest. His eyes flickered to my hands.

"Stand still girl," his voice was harsh, seeming to boom out as he stood next to me. "The necklace you wear, do you know what it is made of?"

"I am not sure, your majesty." I replied in a small voice, I needed to lie; I didn't want him to find out what it actually was.

"Hm," he seemed to be arguing with himself about what to do. He came to a decision- I held my breath. "It looks like it could be of some value… I will take it now and it will be restored to you later- if it is of no value…"

His hand began to reach for the key, but my hand flew protectively to cover it, I could feel my heart begin to beat faster under my palm as I protected my mother's key.

"Remove your hand girl!" he spoke angrily, losing his patience.

"No" I said in a small, almost inaudible voice.

"What did you say!" he also spoke quietly, trying to hold his rage in.

"I can't let you take it your majesty- it is the only thing I have left…" I trailed off; his hand began to slowly rise. I closed my eyes tightly and prepared for his powerful hand to reach my face.

But it never came. I looked up again- the king had a shocked look on his face; I followed his gaze and saw that the prince had a tight hold on his fathers arm, using only one hand- it seemed effortless. His eyes were still on me even though he now spoke to his father.

"I don't think that is wise, old man." I looked back at the prince- he had no respect for his father, that was clear by the way he addressed him. Old man- I would never even think about calling my father that. But _he_ seemed to think nothing of it. "Let her keep her trinket- it is probably worthless anyway."

I looked at his eyes; he seemed to be studying my face, again looking for something. His eyebrows furrowed in the centre of his head, making him look much older than he actually was. He seemed around 25 years old- possibly older, but if you looked past that you could see the boy that had grown up to quickly.

The king then nodded slightly and moved to the next person. The prince's eyes still held mine as he released his fathers arm and moved to stand next to him again.

I held my breath again as Nappa gave me directions.

To my relief he had grunted for me to go left. I all but ran to 18's side, I hugged her tightly and grabbed her hand again- she had seemed just as pleased as I was that we were together again.

We then turned to look back at the line. 18 seemed to be fairly interested in the cattle market-, as I had put it earlier. But my interest was still taken with the prince; his eyes were still unmoved from my face. I lent over to whisper in 18 ear,

"What is his name" I nodded lightly in the prince's direction, hoping that he wouldn't notice we were talking about him. 18 looked up.

"That is prince Vegeta," she turned her head to me now, "why do you ask."

"Oh, no reason really…" I looked back at him; his eyes were still on me.

"He seems to like you Bulma."

"Oh. What makes you say that…?" I asked this question, but I already knew the answer.

"Well, firstly he hasn't stopped looking at you since we arrived here."

"You noticed that too then- it wasn't just me."

"I think _everyone_ here has noticed Bulma. And if that wasn't enough of a clue, he just stopped the king from hitting you, do you think he normally does that…" I supposed she was right; a prince didn't save a slave girl everyday. My suspicions must have been correct- he did like me, even if it was just for sex. I didn't care- he had saved me and I should be thankful.

I looked up at his staring face again and smiled, I hoped he would understand this as thanks; it was the only thing I could give him now.

It took me by surprise as what I had thought would be a returning smile formed into a scowl. His eyebrows creased more in the centre of his head, and his mouth, which had showed no emotion, turned into a frown.

It hurt to see his expression- the reality of the situation finally came crashing down over me. I was no longer a princess- men would not longer want me the same way as before, no longer think I was beautiful. I was just a dirty slave girl…

I let the tears fall silently down my face. 18 looked over to me and then to the prince. She seemed to guess what had happened, though she didn't say anything, just tightened the hold she had on my hand.

I never looked away from the prince, just continued to stare at him as he did the same to me. He seemed to become uncomfortable, and turned to look away- but I didn't care. Nothing really mattered anymore.

The rest of the day had gone by in a blur. I didn't register much- only vaguely noticing when 18 began to pull my hand again, as we walked in line up to the palace.

I remembered wondering where we were going, but my question had soon been answered as we reached the impressive castle doors. There were around 20 of us- all female I noted. A sick thought came to my head- we were all here to become whores, if not today then sometime in the future. I looked over to 18; she seemed to be thinking the same thing.

Finally we reached a small room, with around 15 small beds lined in rows along each wall. The room was very dark, and cold- it was probably under the castle somewhere- I hadn't paid much attention as we had made our way through the castle. I looked at all the women crowded in the room- some I knew from the trip, but others were new faces. They looked older than the women I had travelled with, dark circles stood out more under their eyes- just like on 18.

The guard then left us with strict orders about the next morning. He had told us to be up and working by 5:00am, but I hadn't really been listening, my mind had begun to shut down, blocking things out which weren't relevant.

I remembered 18 fetching us some food from the small table set up at the end of the room. There wasn't much there, it looked like leftovers from dinner the night before, but I didn't care. I ate it all gratefully as I sat next to 18 on one of the small beds.

When it came to sleeping we would have to share, but I didn't mind- it was reassuring having her next to me. We tried to keep each other warm as the cold bit at us through the thin blanket, though we didn't do a good job- I had begun to shiver relentlessly before dark had come that evening.

The next morning was clearer in my mind than the first sleepless night on Vegitasei. I had been pulled from my thinking early, as promised by the guard. 18 and I had eaten our bread quickly, fearing the worst if we took to long.

The older women there seemed to know the most about the palace, and were pleased to answer the questions we had. I learnt that they had all been here 10 years- though some had been here longer.

Through out the duration of the morning we had been showed what to do by the older women. We had all split in to twos, 18 and me went together, and then one woman showed us round the palace and told us what jobs needed doing.

We stayed fairly quiet, as the woman had told us what to do. My mind was occupied with other things; most thoughts being about the prince, I just couldn't seem to shake him from my head, all I could see when I closed my eyes was his dark stare. I felt like he was always watching me- no mater where I went. Then there was the constant worry of my future- I was certain I would become a pleasure slave- but when, that was the question. I decided to voice my curiosity.

"Excuse me miss," the woman looked up and smiled, the expression took years off her face.

"Call me Rose, dear, you are in the same position as me after all."

"Yes, well, I was wondering…" I looked at her face, her kind eyes were a deep chocolate brown, how was I to word this without offending her… "Have you ever been a 'pleasure slave'." I continued to look at her eyes- but they showed no sigh of anger."

"I have, Bulma, I am currently…" she trailed off; her eyes were filled with shame.

"Do you mind if I ask you a few things then, I'm a little worried."

She had then smiled at me and continued to answer my many questions. She answered them all to the best of her ability, leaving no question unanswered.

I learnt many things. Like how the people of this world were a proud race called the Saiyans and, even thought they were cold hearted warriors, they never _forced_ an under aged child to have sex, this meant that I only had a matter of months before I would be touched on their world- the legal age here was 17- a feeling of dread had washed over me as I thought this and, as much as I pushed it to the back of my mind, the feeling never really left me.

Rose had then carried on to tell me that when you were a pleasure slave you were expected to work in the day- as well as the nights. Thought you were given showers everyday, and expected to be clean when you were 'working' in the evenings. So I could look forward to long, sleepless nights with no rest in the days. The only time I would be allowed to relax was when I was showering, and even that was for a purpose I didn't like to think about.

When the day had finally come to an end my life had never seemed so dark. 18 had tried to sympathise with me, but I knew that she had been through worse. I suppose I should have thought myself lucky about this fact.

That night was a little better than the first, not much about my future was now unknown – though the truth seemed to hurt more. I had silently cried myself to sleep with these thoughts, knowing that no matter what I tried to do, I was in for the same fate eventually. My life could never change from that, not now- not ever.

As the days carried on in a monotonous fashion, I discovered many unwritten rules about the inhabitants of Vegitasei. For instance, unless you had a death wish, you never spoke ill of a Saiyan. The best thing to do was keep your head down, and never speak to anyone unless it was another slave.

You also had to learn to be thankful for what you were given. Food came few and far apart- therefore you had to eat as much as you could while it was there, otherwise you went hungry- simple as that. The Saiyans didn't care about your well-being. In their minds you were just slaves- people that should not be regarded as human beings, but as things that could be bought if you ran short. If you died it was not their problem, nor did they get punished if they killed you. In all honesty it was just easier to stay away from them.

This had proven extremely easy concerning one particular Saiyan. The Prince had apparently left the planet on urgent business the day I had arrived, though there was a small part of me that had trouble believing this was true. I couldn't help but think that I had something to do with his sudden departure. He had not left my head in the few weeks that I had been here. My mind constantly battled over whether he liked me or not- it was driving me crazy. Every time I though I'd come to a logical answer, something else would come up and make me think other wise. I hoped that he had suffered after our first encounter, I hoped that _his_ mind was constantly filled with the image of tears falling from my face, and that he was filled with regret when he though about how he had made it all happen with just one expression. Though I very much doubted this was true.

I was definitely developing feelings for this man, but not the ones I had been expecting. From the moment I had set eyes on the prince, I couldn't help but like him. But now as the days went by I was slowly starting to resent his whole character, from his attitude, right down to his flawless appearance.

Every time I thought about him it made me hurt inside, an uncontrollable pain would take over my chest and I would miss my old life. It seemed so easy now. I loathed him for making me feel like this every time I thought about him. In all honesty I was dreading the day when I would have to set eyes on him again, for fear that I would do something stupid, or make a fool of myself, or that the pain would become so terrible that I would collapse on the spot. I didn't know what would happen, and I wasn't looking forward to finding out.

Several months had now passed, and I was settling in fairly well. Work was becoming easier; I was sleeping better at night because I was so tired. I hadn't seen the prince since the day I had arrived, in fact I barely thought about him at all. There would be the occasional day when my mind would wander, and I would think about him, but I would soon shake him from my thoughts. After all, what good was there in thinking about something that wasn't around to bother you?

The only thing that wasn't getting any better was my friendship with the other slaves. No one seemed to want to talk to me. I had thought that Rose was different, but she turned out just like the others. She just seemed to turn from me one day, like someone had said something to her, something that had made her frightened to even talk to me. In all honesty, if I didn't have 18 then I would be quite alone.

18 and me had become really good friends in the months we had been together. I felt like there was nothing I couldn't tell her- although I constantly felt bad for not telling her the truth about my past.

One cold afternoon, some time in September, I finally decided that I had kept the truth from her too long. I placed down my dusting cloth and set off to find my friend. I had been stationed on the first floor of the castle for the last month or so, it was nice not having to walk up too many steps- unlike my dear friend who was stationed on the top floor, she had to climb 7 flights of stairs before she reached her area.

After a few turns and long corridors I reached the first staircase. When I placed my foot on the first step, the cold stone sent a shiver up my spine. It scared me to walk round the castle on my own; if I could help it I usually tried to walk with some of the other slaves, it just made me feel safer that way.

I wasn't that familiar with the palace, I had only ever worked on the first and second floor, anything past there was new to me. It was kind of exciting going to the other floors, something new after weeks of doing the same thing over and over again.

I finally reached the third floor, I was a little disappointed, it looked exactly the same as the previous level, the same stone floor with dull stone walls, the same torch lit corridors that only had a faint amount of colour.

I felt silly now for becoming so excited; compared to my old home it was extremely… boring. If I had come to live here as something other than a slave I would have gone crazy seeing the same thing around every turn. I was used to the most grand, extravagant halls that were always filled with light and colour. Somewhere I would be proud of to call my own. If I owned this 'palace' I would be ashamed.

As I carried on down the halls I couldn't help but wonder what my home would have been like if I had married Freezer. The thought made me feel ill inside, I imagined it would be something to the effect of the palace I was in now- cold.

An unexpected shiver ran up my spine as I thought this, seeming to reiterate the cold presence I now walked in.

After walking for what felt like hours, I finally came to the 7th set of stairs. I walked carefully up the staircase, placing my hand on the gradual slope of bitter stone that ran besides it. As I ascended up the stairs the temperature, along with my surroundings, began to change. It suddenly became a great deal warmer, the cold stone floors replaced by warm marble with flecks of gold that shimmered in the sunlight, which streamed in through the long arched windows. Warmth seemed to spread through me just from being present in the grand hallway. The walls were draped with deep blue sashes, the exact colour of the prince's attire. Long golden threads hung from where the beautiful material gathered to make long semi-circles across the peak of the walls.

I walked further in to the corridor; my feet stepped on to something soft. I looked down; there was a long blue carpet, lined with the same golden threads as the walls. The texture felt wonderful on my feet after months of walking on the cold stone that decked the lower floors. I curled my toes against the soft carpet, this was the first time I had enjoyed having no shoes.

I looked up again, small torches were lit on golden stands either side of a large wooden door. I stood on tiptoes and placed my hands beside the fire. The warmth felt incredible against my cold hands. The light ivory tone my fingers held replaced by a warm blush- the colour skin was meant to be.

Suddenly, for the second time in my life, I heard footsteps approaching me. I looked around- there weren't many place to hide. My heart began to race, without thinking I opened the large door, thanking some unknown, higher authority that it wasn't locked, and slipped inside.

The room was incredible. The first thing that struck me was the amazing sent that seemed to emanate from every fibre of the beautiful room. It had kind of a musky, almost manly aroma- it was like nothing I had ever smelt. I closed my eyes and breathed in the sweet fragrance once again, and, for the first time since I had come to this planet, I felt safe.

I opened my eyes again and glided over to the four-poster bed, it was very much like my bed _used_ to be- only it seemed more… magnificent. Long blue drapes, much like the ones outside, hung from each of the tall posts and were tied back with the same beautiful golden threads.

I instinctively reached up, my fingers longing for the soft feel of the incredible satin. Just as my fingertips reached their target, I was wrenched from my trans-like state. Being brought back to mind by a sound I was learning to fear.

Just as the large oak door began to creek open once more, I dove to the floor, crawling with out fail to rest under the bed.

I heard the sound of light footfalls approaching the place I now rested under.

I quietly pulled the soft linen back so that I could just see out of my new hiding place.

I had to restrain myself from gasping as I looked upon the new occupant of the room. Walking towards the bed, more beautiful to me now than he had ever been, was _my_ prince.

* * *

So, Bulma has finally arrived on Vegitasei (sorry if the description was wrong of Vegitasei, I've never seen of read a description of it- so I just decided to make it up!) but does she like it there? Has she begun to develop feelings for the prince during the months of his absence? What will she do if he realises she is in his chambers? You'll just have to wait for the next chapter!

Edit: i have just realised that the links i previously added didn't work, so i have posted the right links- which should take you straight to my art!

this link takes you to my main profile : .com/

this link takes you stright to the 'loving heart' stuff : .com/gallery/#A-Loving-Heart

i have finally uploaded some pictures for 'A Loving Heart' on deviant art. if you wanted to see them the link is below:


	4. Discovered

OK, so I've finally managed to upload another chapter- some of you were probably giving up hope... sorry about that...  
Anyway, apparently the link to my art didn't work, I've tried to fix it- but I'm still not sure if it works or not. if it does great. but if it doesn't please tell me and I'll try to do something about it.  
here is the link, you have to ignor the spaces though: xdaisymayx .deviantart .com

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters used in this story, i'm not earning any money from doing this- its just for fun.

Anyway... Enjoy!

Chapter Three:

* * *

Discovered

I had to restrain myself from gasping as I looked upon the new occupant of the room. Walking towards the bed, more beautiful to me now than he had ever been, was _my_ prince.

*****

As the prince moved further towards me he began to remove his armour. Soon he was left in just his spandex suite. Now he began to peel the light material back from his skin. Slowly his chest began to show. I blushed- he was magnificent. Small scars could be found at every inch of his chest, though some were more prominent than others. Soon enough the spandex came to rest at his waist- leaving only his bottom half covered.

I rolled on to my back under the bed. There were so many words designed to fit a person's feelings- though I could find none to describe mine. A warmth had crept through my body, spreading from my toes to my cheeks- which turned an appropriate rosy colour in reply. Even though no one could see me, I felt… embarrassed.

These feelings were as foreign to me as I was to this planet- and that though scared me, but also made me somewhat excited. Excited, only because so many new emotions had been brought to my attention. Scared because it was the prince of all people was the one to bring out these rash feelings that resided within me.

Slowly I peeked out from my hiding place once more. An unexplained sense of disappointment washed over me as I found the prince was no longer standing- in all his glory- in front of me.

I looked round the room once more, hoping that he had just moved from his place in front of the bed.

The disappointment once again washed over me as I found he was no longer in the room.

With an air of reluctance I began to manoeuvre myself out of the small gap, which had become a kind of haven in the short time I had spent there.

Once on my feet I dusted myself down- not that I had needed to- everything in this magnificent room was so perfect. Not an inch of dust could be found anywhere.

Just as I was about to step towards the door the sound of newly running water met my ears. Curious I followed the almost musical sound towards a door to my right. Careful not to make a sound I slowly peered through the slight gap in the door.

The room was, from what I could see, exceedingly long, longer than I had expected it to be. It held the same gold-flecked marble floor as the corridor, though the blue drapes that had hung from the walls before had been replaced with simple white tiles.

These were the only aspects I could see though- the room was filled with so much steam I could hardly make them out. One thing did catch my attention. Attached to the far wall on my right, higher than my head, was a contraption similar to a tap, only this was much bigger and the water seemed to flow from it like rain.

Stupidly forgetting where I was I slowly pushed open the large oak door and stepped in the now barely visible room.

My heart began to accelerate in my chest, alerting me to something unknown. What struck me now was how silent everything had become- but I didn't realise until it was too late.

With surprising force I was pushed headfirst into the wall. A blinding pain began to sear on my forehead- spreading contagiously like wild fire across my head. A small drop of ruby blood fell to the floor by my feet. A strong hand started to tighten around the back of my neck holding me against the tiles, while another began to untie my makeshift slave dress.

I closed me eyes tightly wishing it would all end.

With a violent force I was hauled over a highly muscled shoulder. I clutched at my head- trying to ease the pounding as blood trickled through my fingers.

Suddenly I was dropped on to something soft, a large weight instantly followed, crushing my body nearly to breaking point.

Almost as quickly the weight was removed, seeming to totally disappear. I opened my eyes, a little confused- though glad the extra weight was gone.

I looked around- everything was a little blurred but I fought to clear my vision. To my surprise the room along with the prince came in to focus. He seemed to be almost pressed up against the wall opposite my position on the bed. His eyes never left mine, his expression almost… sorry.

I immediately realised what had happened- but I didn't feel disgusted; as I perhaps should have- I felt the uncontrollable urge to comfort him.

Slowly, with a newly found caution I let go of my head- ignoring the blood that refused to stop flowing there- and used both hands to shuffle myself to the edge of the bed. Once there I moved a hand to the back of my dress- checking that it would stay covering me when I stood, thankfully it was still partly fastened, a few solitary buttons remained closed.

I now held my breath and pushed myself up. Wobbling slightly as I fought for balance. His eyes never leaving mine kept the same emotions though he never moved an inch.

I looked back at him, holding his gaze; reluctant to look away for fear that I would never see it again. Taking a small, somewhat pathetic step, I began to limp over to him, gasping each time my foot hit the floor- I presumed I must have broken it. Finally, after what seemed like hours- but what was in reality only a few short minutes- I reached the man who had caused me so much pain, but also so much joy.

With a warm smile I placed a bloody hand on his cheek. He flinched away slightly but I just persisted to move my hand closer.

Suddenly my world, along with the beautiful man in front of me began to spin. I felt myself falling- but could do nothing to stop it.

The same strong arms as before, only gentler now, darted out to catch me. Slowly, with caution- as though not to hurt me- I was moved so that I was cradled against his chest. The last thing I saw was his beautifully deep eyes- and for the first time since I had left my home planet, I felt safe. Finally I stopped fighting and let the unconsciousness fall over my body.

*****

I knew I was awake, but I just couldn't open my eyes. It was strange- I was finding it hard to decide whether I couldn't physically open them or if I just… didn't want to. Oh well- it was meaningless anyway. I was so calm- I felt like I was floating- so warm, safe. I was finding it hard to focus on anything. The heat seemed to overpower my senses- making me forget anything that entered my mind.

With out warning I was pulled from my mindless state. A loud beep echoed- the sound almost muffled, though still harsh to my ears. Suddenly the warmth began to leave my body starting at my head and working down until not a trace was left to be found. A shiver rolled through my body making me shake uncontrollably.

Once again a beep sounded- my eyes shot open. My vision was slightly blurred- though I could make out small green lights.

As my vision cleared I began to notice people around me- though their bodies were slightly marred by what appeared to be glass.

I watched as a small man moved near to me. A gentle hand reached forward and pressed what looked like a button. Suddenly the glass wall in front of me began to rise to the ceiling

A flurry of noise now met my ears. A symphony of wiring and beeping entered the once soundless room. Many machines were placed around the edges of the small space- they looked like little space pods. Each had several small green lights and many confusing looking buttons. Some housed people- very _naked_ people. Each had their eyes closed and seemed to be surrounded by green liquid. A small mask, which was connected by a long tube to the machine, covered their mouths.

I looked down. Like the other people I had a mask on my face. I lifted my arm to remove it but found that many small wires were restricting my movement. I followed them to their source until I came to a large box in front of me. Where the wires connected there were many more- exactly alike.

I looked back at my body. Not only was I covered in wires, but I was also completely naked. I attempted to cover myself but my efforts were futile- the wires made sure of that.

I slowly lifted my gaze to the man in front of me. I could feel the heated blush creeping up my cheeks. Seeing this the man turned and walked over to a line of hangers against the wall. From one he removed a deep blue robe, and then walked slowly back to me- keeping his eyes on the floor as he went. A little faster now he moved into the tank next to me and began to remove the wires. Slowly I began to regain movement in my body.

Once all the wires were removed he handed me the robe.

"Thank you" I murmured, slipping it on quickly, eager to cover my body.

"Quite alright dear" he said, still not looking at me.

"Where am I?"

"This is the medical room, its usually a little more active that this." He paused. I looked around- there were people here, but every one was unconscious and floating in the luminous green liquid. Everything in this room seemed to hold an eerie presence. The lighting was rather poor, making the shadows cast by the tanks even darker. I would not like to spend long in this room while I was conscious. He continued, "Though most of the Saiyans are out purging other planets."

"Who are these people then?" I indicated the people round the small room.

"Oh, those are the Saiyans who have just returned... they weren't in very good shape when they got here. A little like you I guess…" a small smile lingered on his face- making him look years younger.

I looked at him for a few seconds; then turned and walked to a set of slightly smaller tanks that were next to the one I had come from. What I saw there made my heart seem to ache slightly. Each tank housed a very beautiful, but equally injured woman. Small finger shaped bruises could be found on their hips and dark circles, which not even these wondrous tanks could heal, were under their eyes.

The man behind me cleared his throat slightly, seeming to become uncomfortable as he looked at the women.

"I'm so sorry" he murmured

I turned to look at him. His eyes, which were now settled on me, held a strange sense of pity. I realised then that he thought I had been abused like the women in the tanks. Dread washed over me as I remembered that this was soon to be my fate- a life of sex and injury.

Silent tears began to run down my cheeks. I looked once more at the women, and then turned back to the small man, subconsciously wrapping my arms around myself in a protective manor.

"Thank you… for making me better".

His only reply was a smile. I looked around again.

"Do you have my clothes? Only I can't walk around in this forever." I gestured to the robe I wore.

He nodded slightly and moved over to a silver metal door. He opened it and walked inside. A few seconds later he returned with my clothes- thankfully they hadn't been washed and the mud stained fabric hadn't been returned to its original form.

"You can change in there." He motioned to the area he had just come from.

I nodded and began my path to the room. Once inside I closed the door lightly behind me. Slowly I scanned the room- it was a lot bigger than I had expected. To my left, all along the wall, were many small draws, each with a label referring to the corresponding tank outside, I presumed that this was where they kept the occupants clothes. Across the far right side of the room was, what looked like a power supply- though it was hard to tell. The large black box was covered in switches and many flashing lights. A constant whirr filled the room- though the sound was kind of relaxing. The heat here was almost unbearable though, making my forehead sleek with sweat.

Hurriedly I undressed and put my other clothes on, wanting more than anything to be out of the stifling temperature.

A few minutes later I opened the door again, enjoying the feel of cool metal against my hand.

The sight that met my eyes next was a sight I had not expected to see. Lying cold on the smooth metal table, her hand limp beside her was my only friend.

I felt my eyes begin to well up; rushing forward I reached for her hand, remembering how I had held it before and flinched at the cold that resided there. That seemed like nothing as I held it now. The cold ripped through me, chilling me- feeling as if I were holding a statue rather than my 18's hand.

I backed away from my friend, tears flowing freely now. I looked over at the small man who had helped me before, his once kind face now held a mixture of shock and pity. He moved to comfort me, but I dodged him wanting nothing but to see my friend up and well. I looked at 18, all hope inside me was now lost- I felt so alone. I walked slowly to the door, and turned.

"Thank you" I said quietly. The man just bowed his head.

I looked at 18 once more, her eyes were closed, her skin pale. I had to bite my lip to stop from crying out. I quickly headed out the door and broke into a run.

So many things whiled round my head; how had 18 been hurt, who had done it to her. I couldn't seem to shake the image of her cold face from my mind.

I finally slowed to a stop. Clutching my head I let the tears role through me. I shrunk to the ground and edged back towards the wall, I didn't care now if I was found or not, I hated this life and this planet- I just didn't care anymore. I brought my knees up to my chest and wrapped my arms around them protectively.

I don't know how long I sat there, minutes, hours. Time seemed to stand still. What was I suppose to do now? I had nobody- I was completely alone. I wished I could see my parents. I wished I had married freezer, anything would have been better than this.

Sighing heavily I managed to pull myself up. But as I took a step forwards I became dizzy, little black spots appeared in my vision. I clutched my head again, though this time for completely different reasons. I stumbled and began to fall, wishing someone would catch me, make me safe. But no one came.

I landed with a light thud against the floor, hitting my head as I did. A small whimper escaped my mouth as the pain in my head became unbearable I closed my eyes wishing it would end as blackness overcame my body once more.

*****

I awoke slowly, warm sunlight shone on my face warming me, making me feel safe. I rolled over enjoying the feel of the soft linen. My eyes shot open, I sat up- why wasn't I in the slave quarters. Was I dreaming? No, this couldn't be a dream- everything was so real- though still so perfect.

I looked round, confused, though immediately knowing where I was. The only place that could be so perfect; the princes' quarters- but why was I here?

I reluctantly climbed out of the warm bed and walked to the small table near the oversized window. Placed neatly on it was a small plate of food and a tea set. I looked around; there was no one else here. Picking up the teapot I poured myself a cup and gratefully sipped the warm liquid, enjoying the taste that I had not experienced for a while now.

I looked down at myself. Surprised when I realised that I was no longer in my slave clothes, but in a small cream coloured silk nightdress, which hardly covered my bottom. I blushed- if my parents had seen me in this they would have died of shock. But the truth was, I actually liked wearing this, it made me feel… sexy, and not like the disgusting slave everyone though I was.

I set my cup back on the table and slowly walked round the bed to the bathroom. I pushed open the oak door and stepped inside, remembering what had happened the last time I had done this, I was glad there was no one else here.

I pushed the door lightly so that it was just short of being closed. I looked round the long room, as there was no steam this time it was easier to see.

To my left was a magnificent bath. It took up the whole side of the wall and had two steps made of the same gold-flecked marble leading up to it. Straight in front of me near the ceiling was a long window that stretched across the length of the room. Below this was a small toilet, which sat next to a small sink. To my right, as I had seen before, was the rain tap. I could now see that it was contained in a glass case- I supposed this was to stop the water escaping. This, like the bath took up one end of the room.

I moved further in to the room, noticing the change from soft carpet to cool marble more now as my bare feet moved through the bathroom.

I made my way quietly down to the glass box. Once there I reached out for the half moon indentation, which served as a door handle. As I pulled the door slid effortlessly to the left into the other glass wall.

Inside the glass it was warmer, I could feel the heat spreading through me.

Beneath the high tap were two smaller dials, one for hot water and one for cold. In-between these was a button. I reached out and lightly pressed it. I shrieked loudly as hot water gushed out of the tap, soaking me from head to foot- ruining the silk nightdress as it did so.

I stepped back wanting to get out of the water but bumped into something hard. I froze. Fear spread through me much as the water had done only seconds before. I felt large hands spread round my body and begin to trace circles around my navel. Soft lips began to nuzzle against my neck. The fear within me began to recede, only to be replaced by a burning desire I had never felt before.

I placed my hands over the others, entwining my fingers within theirs. It surprised me how soft they were- as if they had never been exposed to the outside world.

A trail of kisses was now being placed from my neck to my shoulder, making it hard to concentrate on anything else. I felt completely safe within the arms that held me, as if no harm could come to me while I was here.

The hands began to move, slipping out from beneath my grasp. I watched as the fingers grasped my sopping nightdress and began to pull it upwards. I lifted my arms in response, surprising even myself as I did so.

Once the garment was removed and tossed uselessly to the floor I began to turn my head slowly. Coal black eyes met my own, the desire within them a reflection of my emotions.

A mixture of fear and confusion must have entered my own eyes at that moment for the prince smirked and started to kiss along my shoulder again, his eyes never leaving mine.

I whipped my head back around again, eyes wide, feeling his hands begin to creep up my body. I looked down realising for the first time that the only item of clothing I was currently wearing was a small pair of panties. I quickly moved my arms to cover the exposed skin, but his hands gently grabbed my own and placed them at my sides.

My heart began to beat faster. I watched holding my breath as his hands came to cup my breasts. His fingers began to circle my nipples making my breath become laboured. With out warning his fingers lightly pinched the small buds sending a wave of pleasure through my body. A small moan escaped my lips making him smirk once more against my neck.

His hands moved down again, making my body shiver from the loss of contact. With a slight force I was turned to face the prince. Without delay his lips began to overwhelm mine, making me gasp in response. I responded equally, letting the passion within me escape. My hands moved up to tangle in the flames that were his hair, pulling him closer towards me. He began to push me towards the wall. Cold rippled through me as I hit the cool tiles making my back arch and my nipples press against his bare chest.

Above us the water continued to run, making our bodies glisten and steam begin to form. My hands slowly moved down to rest against his chest, I marvelled at the well-defined muscles that resided there.

Vegeta continued to kiss me with a fiery passion, his hands exploring every inch of my body. I felt his tongue begin to press against my lips; I willingly parted them, needing the closeness just as much as he seemed to. His warm tongue began to explore my mouth, all the while bringing out new emotions within me. I reluctantly broke the kiss, gasping for air. He just continued to kiss round my mouth, moving slowly to kiss down my neck, I tilted my head back against the wall allowing him better access.

But he didn't stop there, he continued down kissing over my right breast until he reached the nipple. I moaned loudly as he began to suck and flick the small bud with his tongue. My hands once again tangled in his hair, pulling him closer, not wanting the pleasure to stop. Though after giving some attention to my other breast he came back up and began to kiss me again. I wrapped my arms around his neck playing lightly with short bits of hair behind his ears.

He now began to lift my leg to rest against his hip, and quickly did the same with the other, his lips all the wile continuing to devour my own. As he placed his hands on my hips I wrapped my legs tighter around his waist pulling him closer to me. I gasped feeling a large bulge inside his spandex bottoms as he pressed against me. I broke the kiss once again, to look at him. His eyes searched mine as we looked at each other. I leaned in to kiss him again. Placing one small kiss on his lips, I began to make a trail down his throat. I unclasped my legs and signalled that I wanted to be put down. He complied, releasing my legs and letting them drop lightly to the ground.

I continued to kiss along his collarbone, reaching down at the same time to lightly stroke the budge in his pants. His breathing began to deepen and his eyes slowly close as I began.

All too quickly a loud knock sounded from the bedroom, I stopped, looking up.

The prince cursed under his breath, his head dropping to rest lightly on my shoulder. Slowly he lifted his head to look at me

"Stay here" he murmured; his voice husky, filled with the desire I could see in his eyes.

I nodded slightly and watched as he turned to exit the room.

My head fell back against the tiles. Cold air rushed against my skin at his absence. I walked on shaky legs over to the now open glass door. I peered out hoping to catch what they were saying.

"Please my prince, you are needed urgently by the king."

"Can it not wait" he replied a faint note of desire still in his voice.

There was a pause. Then the other man cleared his throat uncomfortably

"I'm sorry my prince… but the king said he required your presence immediately."

"Fine. Tell that old bastard I'll be there as soon as possible."

There was a sharp intake of breath from the other man as the prince spoke ill of his father. But before he could say anything in response the sound of a door slamming could be heard.

Vegeta appeared moments later. His eyes were full of regret as he scanned my almost completely naked body.

"I have to go." He murmured. I looked down. "We'll finish this later, when no distractions can get in our way." He paused not knowing what to say.

"I'll wait for you…" I whispered, looking up once more. His features turned angry as my eyes met his.

"I have to go," he said once more, this time turning straight away and heading out of the bathroom. I followed him slowly, watching as he pulled a spandex shirt over his head and headed for the door. He paused turning back to glance at me once again.

"I'll have Kakarrot bring you up some new clothes"

"Who is--" I began to say but he just smirked and headed down the corridor.

Great, I looked down at my half naked body. What was I supposed to do now? I looked round the room, searching for something to wear until… Kakarrot, I think that was his name, brought me some clothes.

I walked back in to the bathroom, and went once again to the 'rain tap'- I would have to ask of its proper name later.

Hot water still poured endlessly from the large metal tap. I stepped into the water again- this time willingly allowing it spread over my already damp body. I looked down at the sodden nightdress besides me, remembering with a sigh at how it had got there.

I was so confused, I had believed before that the prince didn't like me; I would have even gone as far to say that he despised me. But now, he seemed… different. He had brought out so many new emotions within me- things I never thought I'd feel. I remembered how his hands had explored every inch of my body, how he had kissed me so passionately, how when I looked in to his eyes I could see a desire which made my knees go weak just to think about. Yes, something had changed within the prince- but what? Oh well, I didn't really matter now- I would find out eventually, or at least I hoped I would.

Deciding to make good use of the warm water I pulled down my last remaining garment stepped out of the panties and then tossed them quietly to rest atop of the nightdress.

It was surprising how good it felt to wash after going so long without being able to. I reached for the small bar of soap, which rested in a dish to my right and began to rub the fragrant substance over my body, taking longer as I came to my hair. Once I was finished I allowed the water to rinse away the bubbles leaving only clean skin exposed. I couldn't decide at that moment what was making me so relaxed. The heat in the room was an obvious factor, but also the water, which glided effortlessly down my body, seemed to soothe me- make me forget about anything else.

Suddenly there was a loud bang and the sound of quick footfalls. With out warning a Saiyan entered the room speaking as he came,

"My Prince I --" but the sound of my ear-piercing scream cut him of as I scrambled to cover myself.

The tall Saiyan looked up and down my body before suddenly realising what he was doing. He turned quickly, a blush appearing on his cheeks, to face the other direction.

"I'm sorry," he murmured quickly "I didn't realise you were…" he trailed of shuffling nervously, his arms behind his back.

"Its ok…" my voice was quiet "I really shouldn't have been in here anyway" I felt slightly embarrassed at being caught completely naked by a stranger.

I switched of the water quietly and searched for something to cover my body. I located a towel hanging by the door. Checking that the Saiyan was still facing away I moved to grasp the soft material, wrapping it tightly around myself.

"You can look now…"

He turned round slowly, looking at me once again.

"I'm sorry." He repeated. I smiled warmly at him. The guilt in his eyes seemed to fade, leaving a friendly gleam in its place.

There were a few moments of silence, each of us trying to think of something to say.

"Are those for me?" I asked pointing at the clothes he held in his hands.

"Oh, sorry- yes they are" he handed me the material.

"Do you mind if I…" I motioned that I wished to change

"Oh, right- yeah. I'll just--" he didn't finish, but instead hurried out of the room and shut the door behind him. I laughed lightly; he was so embarrassed.

I looked at the soft fabric in my hands, shaking it out to view it properly. It was _beautiful_. Shaped perfectly, it seemed to have no flaws. I eagerly climbed in to the dress. It was royal blue- a colour I had seen many times during my stay here- with many tiny embroidered diamonds in a starburst effect at the bottom, neckline and sleeves of the dress. Similar tiny diamonds were chained together, and draped round the waist acting as a belt, which met in the middle and fell to the floor.

The dress had no straps, instead the material flowed effortlessly from the edge of my shoulders to the sleeves, which were tight until just before the wrist where they flowed out and hung over my hand. I looked to the back of the dress. From the shoulders the material draped over my back and met in a loose 'V' at the bottom of my spine. Silky blue lace crossed over my exposed back holding the two sides together. I looked back to my front. The neck line cut low, showing no less than half of my breasts, then met in a straight line just under my cleavage.

I felt absolutely wonderful in this dress, as if part of my old life had once again returned to me.

I quickly walked back to the glass room, holding up my dress so as not to get it wet I reached for the nightdress and panties.

I stepped out of the bathroom quietly. The Saiyan from before was sitting on the bed. He looked up as I stepped forward. His eyes studied every inch of my body.

"Wow" he breathed under his breath. I smiled, only now realising how much I had missed bringing out this reaction in people.

"Is there anywhere I can put these to dry?" I indicated the sopping clothes in my hand.

"Mmm… oh, sorry." His eyes flitted from my body to my eyes "Yes there is." He stood and motioned for me to follow him.

We walked over to a door, which was located opposite the bed. He pushed it open and let me through first.

Amazement entered my features, the Saiyan laughed softly at my reactions, but I took no notice. We had walked out on to a small stone walkway, which curved round the edge of the building to my left. I continued slowly round the corner. The small path now opened up in to a balcony, big enough maybe for only four people.

I walked to the edge, leaning on the stonewall that surrounded the small area. It was spectacular up here, the view already changing my perspective of Vegitasei. The sun was high in the sky, leaving no area of ground untouched. The heat was incredible, creating a slight seen of sweat on my forehead.

I carefully laid the clothes on the warm stonewall; they would dry quickly there.

I turned to look at the tall Saiyan,

"What's your name?" I asked.

"Kakarrot." He said looking back at me, smiling.

"Oh… Vegeta said you would be coming to see me" he nodded slightly. He was so different to the other Saiyans around here, seeming to be almost human, rather than his own species.

"Do you mind if I ask you a few questions Kakarrot?"

"Sure. I actually have a few to ask you as well" as he said this last part his features turned slightly angry, though I didn't know why.

"Oh, Ok. You go first." I said. He looked as if what he had to ask was important.

"Hmm" was the only response he gave. There was a short pause; he seemed to be thinking of how to phrase his sentence. His eyes looked straight in to mine. "Who are you… really?" Panic entered my body as he asked this, making my heart pump faster.

"W-what do you mean?" I stammered.

"I know you're not a slave. So who are you?" he asked again.

"How do you--" I began in amazement but he cut me off.

"The dress you were wearing before- the muddy one- was washed. I went to pick it up- got quite a surprise when an ivory dress came out instead of the brown one." He smirked at my expression. "So, who are you?"

I looked down. I knew I probably shouldn't answer his question, or at the very least make up a lie that would satisfy him. But there was something about this Saiyan, which made me want to tell the truth. He was just so different from the others.

"Promise you won't tell?"

"Cross my heart" he replied happily.

"I… am a princess…"

* * *

i bet you hate me for that ending! so, anyway... whats going to happen to Bulma now that someone knows her secret? what happened to poor old 18?? why was vegeta called away so quickly??? so many unanswered questions, will they be answered in the next chapter? You'll just have to wait and see...

My art, again you have to ignor the spaces: xdaisymayx .deviantart .com


End file.
